AI-generated image
Kuih seri muka
Sticky rice and pandan custard cake
Kuih seri muka: steamed coconut sticky rice under a smooth pandan custard layer
Seri muka is one of the most loved kuih in Melaka and all over Malaysia, sold in neat diamonds at morning markets and Ramadan bazaars. The base is glutinous rice steamed in coconut milk and pressed firm; the top is a silky, green custard of pandan juice, eggs and coconut milk, steamed until it just sets. Each bite is salty-sweet, chewy then smooth. Chef's tip: rough up the top of the hot rice with a fork before pouring on the custard, so the two layers stick together instead of sliding apart.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the rice layer
- 10 ½ oz glutinous ricesoaked at least 4 hours
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- ¼ cup water
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 pandan leavesknotted
For the custard layer
- 10 pandan leavescut up
- ½ cup water
- 3 eggs
- 5 ½ oz sugar
- 1 ¼ cups coconut milk
- 1 ⅜ oz rice flour
- 1 oz cornflour
- 1 pinch salt
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Fresh ingredients (1)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Drain 10 ½ oz glutinous rice and spread it in a greased 20 cm square tin. Mix ¾ cup coconut milk, ¼ cup water and ¾ tsp salt and pour over; tuck in 2 pandan leaves. Steam over a high heat for 25 minutes, until the grains are tender and translucent.
25 minStep 2: Discard the pandan, fluff the rice, then press it down very firmly and evenly with the back of a spoon. Scratch the surface lightly with a fork. Keep it hot in the steamer.
3 minStep 3: Blend 10 pandan leaves with ½ cup water and squeeze through a cloth to get about 100 ml of dark green juice.
5 minStep 4: Whisk 3 eggs and 5 ½ oz sugar until the sugar dissolves, then whisk in 1 ¼ cups coconut milk, 1 ⅜ oz rice flour, 1 oz cornflour, 1 pinch salt and the pandan juice. Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, for 3–4 minutes, just until it thickens slightly like thin custard; don't let it boil.
5 minStep 5: Pour the warm custard over the hot rice. Turn the heat to medium-low and wrap the lid in a tea towel. Steam for 25–30 minutes, until the custard is set and a skewer comes out clean. Common mistake: steaming on a high heat; the custard puffs up and sets full of holes instead of glossy and smooth.
30 minStep 6: Cool completely, 3 hours at least, then cut into 16 diamonds with an oiled knife.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kuih seri muka take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of glutinous rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Kartoshka cakeCocoa and cake crumb truffles
Soviet cafés and school canteens sold these knobbly brown 'potatoes' for a few kopecks, and they began as a thrifty way to use up sponge and biscuit trimmings at the bakery. Crumbs are bound with butter and sweetened condensed milk, flavoured with cocoa and vanilla, shaped into little potatoes, rolled in cocoa and finished with two dabs of pale butter cream for the sprouts. They are fudgy and dense like a brownie truffle, need no oven, and children love making them. Traditional bakers added a spoonful of rum, an optional extra for adult batches only; this version is alcohol-free with vanilla. The usual slip is coarse crumbs, which make the potatoes crack, so blitz them as fine as sand. Chef's tip: chill the shaped potatoes for at least 20 minutes so they hold their shape and slice cleanly.
Russian
Undu walaluFried urad dal rings in treacle
Walalu means bangles, and these dark, sticky rings of fried urad dal soaked in kithul treacle are a sweet that Sinhala families bring out for Avurudu and for special almsgivings, often made in large batches by an aunt known for her steady hand. A thick, fluffy paste of ground black gram is piped into loops and fried until crisp, then plunged straight into warm treacle, so the rings stay crunchy on the outside while drinking up the syrup. They taste a little like a darker, smokier jalebi, with a toffee finish from the palm treacle. Watery batter is what ruins them; it spreads into flat blobs, so grind the soaked dal with as little water as possible and beat it until light. This recipe uses no asafoetida, so it is naturally gluten free. Chef's tip: pipe the rings onto small squares of baking paper and lower them into the oil paper and all; the paper peels away in seconds.
Sri Lankan
Apple & pear puree
A smooth, naturally sweet puree of gently stewed apple and pear, one of the first foods for babies of 4–8 months. The fruit cooks in a little unsweetened apple juice, so nothing else is needed. Serve it lukewarm; any leftover keeps covered in the fridge for a day, or freezes well in small pots.